Florida Wildlife Corridor Threatened By Developers

"Locals call it the "Palmetto Curtain," a Cold War-inspired nickname for the imaginary line that politically divides Volusia County into east and west. The "Curtain" also is a vast swath of palmetto scrub, pine forests and pastures that forms Volusia County's geographic spine. And it has dual functions -- it acts like a thirsty sponge, soaking up rain and filling the aquifer that provides drinking water, and serving as a highway for wildlife. The area has long been considered an environmental jewel, but now developers are seeing it as the source of more tangible treasure." The booming growth of Central Florida has promoted new housing construction in the area. Activists want to stop the piecemeal rural development before the corridor is destroyed.